{"id":535900,"date":"2026-01-13T12:15:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T12:15:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=535900"},"modified":"2026-01-13T16:09:05","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T16:09:05","slug":"wolffkran-crane-operators-vote-to-strike-over-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/supply-chain\/wolffkran-crane-operators-vote-to-strike-over-pay-13-01-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Wolffkran crane operators vote to strike over pay"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly 100 tower crane operators are to walk out over \u201cunacceptable\u201d pay-rise offers over the past two years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tower crane operators employed in the UK by Wolffkran, a Swiss firm specialising in the design, manufacture and use of tower cranes, voted to hold fortnightly 24-hour strikes beginning later this month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wolffkran’s cranes are currently being used on at least 89 sites across the UK, with a total main contract value of more than \u00a311bn, according to construction data provider Glenigan<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The workers are represented by the Unite union. <\/span><\/p>\n

They are also walking out over Wolffkran\u2019s latest employment policies, including a reduction in standby payments paid to contractors on call outside of their working hours, <\/span>Construction News <\/span><\/i>understands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wolffkran offered pay increases in 2024 and 2025 that were \u201cnot acceptable\u201d to the union, sources told <\/span>CN<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The workers are also striking over the \u201cemployer\u2019s proposals to reduce other terms and conditions of employment, including standby payments\u201d, they added.<\/span><\/p>\n

The strikes will begin on Tuesday 27 January and take place fortnightly thereafter. It is not clear how long they would go on for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unite said in a statement that Wolffkran has supplied cranes to sites including the deconstruction of Grenfell Tower and the construction of the new headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Berkshire, which is being led by Mace<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said it was “completely unacceptable” that the workers had not received a proper pay rise in two years.<\/p>\n

To add insult to injury Wolffkran is now attacking workers\u2019 conditions,” she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnite is the UK\u2019s principal construction union and we will be backing our members one hundred per cent in their dispute. They deserve a fair day’s pay.”<\/p>\n

CN <\/span><\/i>approached Wolffkran for comment, including details of the sites affected by the planned industrial action.<\/span><\/p>\n

Major contractors including Vinci and Mace have used Wolffkran cranes in recent years, according to the plant firm\u2019s website. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mace used five tower cranes on its Powergate Data Centre project in West London, beginning in 2024, while Vinci had<\/span> four on its \u00a3138m build of an open-die forge in Sheffield<\/span><\/a>\u00a0from January 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last week, Unite members working for Altrad, Enigma and Kaefer at the Sellafield nuclear plant<\/span> launched a fresh wave of strike action<\/span><\/a> over an ongoing pay dispute.<\/span><\/p>\n

A 10-day walkout was initiated, with further strikes planned in the coming weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The industrial dispute<\/span> began last September<\/span><\/a> and has involved multiple trades, including electricians, joiners, welders, pipe-fitters, riggers and groundworkers.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nearly 100 tower crane operators are to walk out over \u201cunacceptable\u201d pay-rise offers over the past two years. Tower crane operators employed in the UK by Wolffkran, a Swiss firm specialising in the design, manufacture and use of tower cranes, voted to hold fortnightly 24-hour strikes beginning later this month. Wolffkran’s cranes are currently being …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90643,"featured_media":535903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[547,57171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-535900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buildings","category-supply-chain","issue-online-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWolffkran crane operators vote to strike over pay | Construction News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nearly 100 tower crane operators are to walk out over \u201cunacceptable\u201d pay-rise offers over the past two years. 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